Outdoor Living Trends to Try Out in 2016

As with all design aspects of the home, there are design trends that crop up each year for your outdoor living areas. This year there is some stunning new trends to apply to your outdoor living areas.

You may decide that now is the best time to spruce up your outdoor living space. With these new trends, you will have no trouble with inspiration for your outdoor area.

Coloured structures

Gone are the days of plain coloured furniture, fences or outdoor areas. One of the latest trends is the use of various colours in the back yard. Instead of opting for plain white, brown or grey fences, there has been a rise in the coloured wooden panels that incorporate colours such as dark greens and blues. Even the outside of the home is being painted a new colour. Across Europe, many people are painting the exterior of their homes dark colours such as blacks and dark greys. These colours can provide a striking contrasting background to plants and other garden features.

Subtle gardenscapes

With coloured walls and structures, there’s also a tone down in the garden bed area. Instead of flowers of many varying colours, the trend has been simplistic and minimalist in design. Garden beds with one or two featured colours seems to be enough these days. Subtle colours and attention to detail are more on trend, rather than trying to fit as many colours and flowers in the one area at once.

Revive the indoors, outdoors

Almost anything that can be used indoors is often available as an outdoor appliance. With beautiful summer weather in Australia, it is no wonder that people want to try and make more use of the time and space in the outdoors, rather than staying cooped up indoors. Items such as ovens, barbeques, grills, heating and lighting are all readily available for the outdoor entertaining area. You can also add a firepit to your backyard, which also works well for teenagers to escape the main home, but still be close enough for parents to keep an eye on them.

Outdoor furniture

Of course, you cannot have an outdoor entertaining area without great seating and furniture for you and your guests to utilise. No longer are you limited to just a grey metal framed chair setting, basic wicker or a run-of-the-mill pine outdoor setting. There are plenty of colours, fabrics and materials to now choose from to make sure you can customise your outdoor area to suit your taste and style.

Sustainable gardens

Many people opt for gardens that look aesthetically pleasing, however a lot of these types of gardens require a large amount of upkeep in order to keep them looking great. There have been in increase in gardens that have little to no maintenance that can sustain their look without hours of garden upkeep. There is also the incorporation of rainwater ponds and water features. These ponds harvest rainwater as an auxiliary water source and also look great amongst gardens and backyards.

Lighting schemes

With more people spending time outdoors, especially in the evenings, many people are opting for LED lighting schemes in their outdoor areas. These cafe-inspired lighting options look great for entertaining guests and because LED lights have come a long way over the years, it is easier than ever to create a look and feel with lighting that you will really love. Controlling lights, by altering brightness, dimming and on/off controls via a smartphone are also available. These lights can also be used as a safety measure to help light the way along paths and garden edges.

Temperature adjusting features

Whether it’s the heat of the summer or cold winter nights, adding features to the backyard to help make things a little more comfortable are certainly on trend. As mentioned, fire pits are making a huge splash on the scene, which has the added benefit of providing a much needed heat source throughout winter. Adding outdoor heaters are also a great feature if you prefer to dine outdoors during winter. For summer, outdoor fans and water misters are a great feature to help keep everyone cool at a barbecue during the warmer months.

Native plants and edible gardens

With many people hoping to eat healthier and reduce their carbon footprint, there has been an increase in people opting to grow their own fruits, herbs and vegetables. Having the opportunity to eat from your own garden can be a very rewarding activity indeed. It’s also a great way to teach children the importance of eating fresh and healthy foods. The use of plants that are native to the area has also grown in popularity, as this means you can conserve natural resources, all while reducing the amount of maintenance you’ll need to do with the garden.

Reduced lawn area

Whether it is because there is a need for more room for other items such as outdoor kitchens and spas, or whether homeowners just don’t want to spend hours on the weekend mowing the grass, there has been a decrease in the amount of lawn space around the home. Many people are looking to reduce the amount of time needed in the yard maintaining it, which could be a large reason we’re starting to see a decrease in grassy areas. There are also a few trends suggesting sports courts such as tennis courts and bocce play areas are being built and created in back yards, which could also lead to a smaller grassed area.

Whether you’re building a new home or looking to spruce up your current backyard, there are a few of these trends that are easily to apply to the outdoor area of your home to make it a stunning feature of your home.